Self-adjusting and manually adjustable wrench



Aug. 12, 1952 F. J. cARNELLl SELF-ADJUSTING AND MANUALLY ADJUSTABLE WRENCH 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 22, 1946 W M W 1 PW M ".IIII

Aug. 12, 1952 F. J. cARNELLl 2,606,473

SELF-ADJUSTING AND MANUALLY ADJUSTABLE WRENCH Filed oct. 22, 194e 4 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Aug. l2, 1952 F. J. cARNELLl SELF-ADJUSTING AND MANUALLY ADJUSTABLE WRENCH 4 Sheeos--SheecI 3 Filed Oct. 22, 1946 WINJENTOR. l

@Trap/vf? F. J. CARNELLI Aug. l2, 19,52

SELF-ADJUSTING AND MANUALLY ADJUSTABLE WRENCHl 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 22, 1946 Patented Aug. 12, 1952 4UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SELF-ADJUs'rrNG AND MANUALLY ADJUSTABLE WRENCH Francis J. Carnielli, New York, N. Y.

Application October 22, 1946, Serial No. 704,940

2 Claims. l My present invention relates to adjustable wrenches f the type having a fixed jaw mounted on a handle, and a swinging jaw pivoted on said handle to grip a nut, bolt head or pipe between said jaws.

Heretofore in wrenches of this general type the swinging jaw was pivoted on a cross pin mounted in or on the wrench adjacent the fixed jaw. The full clamping force or stress exerted on the nut or pipe, therefore, reacted on this pin and supporting bearing, which were of necessity small and caused excessive wear and distortion. Certain limitations were also imposed on the operation of the wrench and its action on a nut or pipe inasmuch as the position of the fulcrum or support of the swinging jaw was fixed at the pin and the distance from the pin to the face of the movable jaw was also xed.

An object of my present invention is to provide a wrench having a swinging sliding jaw for automatic adjustment to different gripping disv tances and having a thrust receiving surface directly between the handle of the wrench and the jaw.

The various features of my invention are illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side View and Fig. 2 an edge View of a wrench, embodying a preferred form of my invention, having a bearing surface concentric with the pivotal point or axis of the swinging jaw;

Figs. 3 and 4 are part or detail sectional views on the lines 3 3 and 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a side view of a wrench having the same pivot and bearing structure as the wrench of Fig. 1, but having its inner jaw face modified for gripping a pipe;

Fig. 7 is a side view, partly in section, of a ymodified form of pipe wrench in which the bearing surface is eccentric to the pivotal axis of the swinging jaw, the view showing the wrenchin position on a pipe having a diameter intermediate-the range limits of the wrench;

-Fig. 8 is a vside view of a wrench having the same pivot and bearing structure as the wrench of Fig. 7, but having a modified pivoted outerjaw face, the wrench being shown in position on a pipe having a diameter near the upper limit of the range of pipe sizes for which the wrench is designed;

Fig. 9 is aside View of a wrench having a fixed bearing member on the pivotal jaw;

Y Fig. 10 is a section on the line I0 |0 of Fig. 9;

Figs. 11 and 12 are side views of a pipe wrench having the same pivot and bearing structure as the wrench shown in either Fig. '1 or Fig. 8 but having a modified inner-jaw face;

Figs. 13 to 17 are side views on a reduced scale of the head portion of the wrench of Fig. 1 showing the jaws in different gripping positions for nuts of differing sizes;

Figs. 1S to 22 are similar views of the head end of the pipewreneh of Fig. 7 and show different positions of the clamping jaws when the wrench engages different sizes of pipes.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 5 Vin elusive, my invention is illustrated as embodied in a wrench having a handle 25 which is widened and bifurcated toward the head or jaw end to form a pair of spaced parallel legs 23 and 21 on the end of which is .secured a fixed jaw 28. The jaw 28 may be formed integrally with the legs 26 and 21 or may be a removable jaw fitting on a curved surface 29 at the end of the wrench and secured by a pin 30. The jawi28 has a rounded surface 32 for engaging a nut or bolthead.-

A swinging jaw 33 is provided with a body 34 which has a pair of nut engaging surfaces 35 and 35, preferably at degrees to each other, to engage a hexagonal nut, and a tail 31 extending through the slot 3l and pivoted therein by means of a pivot pin 38. This pin is mounted in' fixed position on the legs or extensions 26 and 21 of the handle and the swinging jaw swings about the pin 38 as a, pivot. This pin, however, passes through a slot 39 in the tail 31 so thatthe swinging jaw may be moved away from or toward the xed jaw within the limits of the slot; The tail 31 has an extension 40 provided with screw threads 4l on which a bearing member 42 is threaded.

Adjacent the pin 3B and concentric therewith is a rounded projection 43 on the legs 26 and 21 against which the bearing ring or member 42 abuts when an outward stress is applied to the movable jaw 33 in engaging a nut. Preferably the bearing surface of the member 42 Sis concavely spherical and thebearing surface of. the projection 43 convexly spherical and'centered 'on the axis of the pin 38 so that there will be an extensive bearing surface between these two members in all positions of the swinging jaw. The outer surface of the member 42 is knurled as at 44 to enable it to be easily engaged androtated on the extension 40.

The tail 31 is provided with a projection 45 againstwhich presses a leaf spring 46 pinned to the handle at 41 and tending to swing the jaw 34 toward the xed jaw 28 or counterclockwise as shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

When a nut 48 is to be engaged the swinging jaw 31 is swung clockwise relative to the fixed jaw 28 against the action of the spring 46 so that the nut may be inserted between the surfaces 32 and 35; upon release of the spring pressed swinging jaw, the nut 48 will be securely engaged or gripped between the surfaces 35 and 36 on one side and the surface 32 on the other.

When force is exerted clockwise against the handle 25 the wrench as a whole will pivot on the center of the nut 48 in such a way that the surface 35 will bear against the opposed surface of the nut 48 and at a right angle or normal to the surface. The bearing stress will be transmitted through the tail 31 to the bearing ring 42 acting in the direction of the broken line 49.

The curved surface 32 of the fixed jaw will react against a diametrically opposite face of the nut at a point spaced forwardly from the line 49 as, for example, at about the point 50 (see-Fig. 5).

The surface of contact between the bearing ring 42 and the curving projection 43 will serve as an'actual fulcrum point between the fixed and movable jaws. This fulcrum action will be distributed, however, throughout a considerable extent of the surface and will be outward of the pin 38, that is, nearer the head end of the wrench.

As indicated in Figs. 13, 14 and 15, the space between the jaw faces 35 and 32, will vary as the swinging jaw swings from right to left, being 'narrower in the position of Fig. 13 than in the position of Fig. 15. This enables the wrench to engage nuts of different sizes without ment of the bearing ring 42.

l It will be noted also that the fixed jaw surface 32 engages the nut 48 near one of its edges as, for example, at 5l opposite those faces of the nut vthat are engaged by the jaw surfaces 35 and 36. This gives the maximum torque for a given pressure on the nut and provides less distortion or'pressure against the stem of the bolt. However in the case of a rounded nut, or a worn an adjustnut, it cannot be engaged at this point without slipping, thatis, the rounded face 32 would slip over the 'rounded edge of a nut if placed in this position. This is illustrated for example in Figs.

16 and 17.

In Fig. 17 the curved face 32 of the iixed jaw engaging the nut in the same relative position f'a's in Figs. 13, 14 and 15, would slide over the rounded or worn edge 52 of the nut.

However, 'by screwing the bearing ring 42 outwardly on the projection 48 as in Fig. 16, the effective arm of the swinging jaw is lengthened and it will swing forwardly to the position shown in Fig. 16 before gripping the nut. At this position, however, the bearing surface 32 will engage the nut 48 vvfurther from the worn edge so that the nut may be gripped without danger of slipping. In this way by adjusting the bearing ring 42 and Y vthus the effective length of the swinging radius "of 'the pivoted jaw, it may be made to engage shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 the invention is illustrated as applied to a pipe wrench, but it will be understood that it can be used also for a nut or bolt wrench.

The swinging jaw in these modifications may either have a pair of jaw faces 51 and 58 at an angle to each other as, for example, an angle of degrees (see Fig. 8), or may have a convexly curved jaw face 59 -as shown in Fig. 7.

The jaw faces may have serrations or teeth for engaging a pipe. The swinging jaw 56 has an extension or tail piece 60 extending through the slot 3| in the handle 25 and is provided with a slot 62 through which passes a pivot pin 63 secured to the handle so that the tail of the pivoted jaw may move for a limited distance. The slot 62 may be bent or curved in shape, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, to position it properly for certain curvatures of the jaw surfaces.

Screwed onto the tail or stem 60 is an adjusting ring 64, similar to ring 42 of Figs. 1-5, which bears against a curved surface 65 on the wrench handle. This curved surface is not, however, concentric with the pin 63 as in the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 5, but is centered as indicated by the center 66, Fig. 7. As a result the movement of the swinging jaw 56 may be limited for a given setting of the adjusting ring. For example in Fig. 7 the swinging jaw cannot swing counterclockwise beyond the position shown because the pin 63 is at the upper end of the slot and the ring 64 is against the surface 65. To enable the swinging jaw to swing farther counterclockwise it would be necessary to adjust the ring 64 outwardly or toward the free end of the extension or tail. This is of advantage when the wrench is used with a ratcheting action on a pipe, that is, one in which the wrench is moved throughout a slight angle to grip the pipe or nut in small successive arcs of rotation and in which it is desirable to be close against the pipe or nut in a definite position of the swinging jaw and not to let it swing freely beyond such position.

For larger pipes the ring 64 may be adjusted outwardly as shown in Fig. 8, and for smaller pipes it may be adjusted inwardly. This arrangement also enables the pipe to be engaged at dierent points on the surfaces of the jaws 55 and 59, which may be desirable when engaging a pipe in close position to a wall or vother obstruction.

These various positions are illustrated in Figs. 18-22. For example in Fig. 18 a pipe or rod 66 of very small diameter is engaged by the wrench. The pipe or rod 66 may be engaged near the free end of the jaw 55 by screwing inwardly vthe regulating ring 64.

In Fig. 19 the wrench is shown asvengaging a pipe 61 of larger diameter at the full rearward swing of the jaw '56. With the setting as shown in Fig. 20 a still larger pipe 68 is engaged with the regulating ring 64 set inwardly to limit rthe movement of the jaw 56 to the position shown.

By moving the ring 64 outwardly the'jaw 56 may swing forwardly to engage the pipe 68v near the end of the jaw 55.

In Fig. 2l there is illustrated ring 64 being moved to the end of the tail 68 so that the jaw 56 may swing forwardly in engaging the pipe 69.

As shown in Fig. 22, with the ring 64 at its outermost position, the large pipe 10 is gripped at the foremost position of the jaw 56 to any convenient position to enable a 'ratchet action even when the pipe is closely spaced from a wall or other obstruction.

In the modification shown in Figs. 9 and 10 the construction is similar to that of Figs. 1 to 5, and comprises the handle 25 having the xed jaw 28 and a swinging jaw 13 with a tail or extension 14 that extends through the slot in the handle 25. However` instead of having an adjusting ring the tail is widened or provided with side lugs at 15 which ride against the curved surface 43 which is centered on a pivot bolt 11. In this modification there is no adjustment of the position of the abutment l5 and the bolt 11 need not pass through a slot in the tail 14. However the stresses imposed on the wrench by gripping a bolt are taken up between the abutments l5 and the surface 43. This enables a wrench of great strength to be obtained simply and with a minimum of cost.

As shown in Figs. 11 and 12 a fixed jaw 78 of the wrench may have a flattened area 19 instead of having a continuously curved face, as shown in the other modications. In this modification the swinging jaw 56 corresponds to that of the wrench shown in Figs. '7 and 8. The flattened surface 19 enables a pipe 85 of larger diameter to pass to a point 88 on the jaw when the latter is swung to the widest position, as shown in Fig. 11; or the pipe may be engaged on the flat surface 19 as shown in Fig. 12. By suitable adjustment of the ring 64 the wrench may be adjusted to pipes of smaller dimensions.

The pivot pin, as for example the pin 38, takes substantially no thrust after the jaws engage the nut or pipe and if it were removed the jaws would remain in position, being fulcrumed on the curved bearing surface of the handle. The pin, therefore, serves as a guide and serves to establish a pivotal point as the curved jaw is swung in position to engage a pipe or nut. And it will be apparent that other pivotal or guide means might be employed.

The wrench of my present invention has an advantage over the ordinary type of Stillson wrench in that it does not depend upon a rst screw adjustment to separate the jaws until the outside diameter of the pipe slides in between the opening of the two jaws, a second screw adjustment to grip the pipe, and a iinal screw adjustment to release the grip, Also it enables ratcheting or change of gripping position without requiring adjustment of the ring, and releases more easily than the older or previous type of Stillson Wrench. The jaws release readily and there is no tendency for the pipe to jam. All of the parts of the wrench are interchangeable.

What I claim is:

1. A wrench which comprises a handle, a xed jaw at one end of said handle having a surface curving convexly from one side of said handle to the opposite side thereof, said handle having a convex bearing surface on said opposite side of said handle, a pivot pin on said handle inwardlt7 of said bearing surface and eccentric to the curved surface of said fixed jaw and eccentric to said convex bearing surface, a swinging jaw having a slot elongated in a direction transverse to said bearing surface and through which slot said pivot pin extends, said swinging jaw having a surface opposed to that of said xed jaw, and a bearing member adjustably mounted on said swinging jaw and bearing against and sliding on the convex bearing surface of said handle.

2. A wrench which comprises a handle, a fixed jaw at one end of said handle having a jaw surface curving convexly from one side of said handle to the opposite side thereof, said handle having a convex bearing surface on said opposite side of said handle, said handle having a slot adjacent to said xed jaw and transverse to said bearing surface, a pivot pin on said handle inwardly of said bearing surface and eccentric to the curved jaw surface and eccentric to said convex bearing surface, a swinging jaw having a slot through which said pin extends and having a surface opposed to that of said iixed jaw, and having a shank passing through said handle slot and extending beyond said convex bearing surface of said handle, and an adjusting ring threaded onto said shank extension and engaging said bearing surface.

FRANCIS J. CARNELLI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 145,263 Wheatcroft Dec. 2, 1873 233,893 Stevens Nov. 2, 1880 545,424 Felger et al Aug. 27, 1895 551,311 Gay et al. Dec. 10, 1895 '796,305 Enderes Aug. 2, 1905 924,444 Forsythe 1 June 8, 1909 983,271 Enderes Feb. 7, 1911 1,445,211 Gore Feb. 13, 1923 1,900,358 Mead Mar. 7, 1933 2,124,163 Emanuel July 19, 1938 

